Remdesivir isn’t a cure for COVID-19, can’t prevent anyone from contracting the disease and provides no survival guarantees. Plus, it’s alarmingly expensive.
“It’s not a miracle drug,” Dr. Raul Magadia, Regional Medical Center’s infection control chair, said Thursday morning. “It’s not a home run.”
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmqFE :E :D D@>6E9:?8[ 2 8=:>>6C[ H9:49 :? 2 A2?56>:4 :D 36EE6C E92? E96 8C@E6DBF6 2=E6C?2E:G6] “xE :D 9@A6[” 96 D2:5] p?5 96 H2?ED >@C6 @7 :E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmx7 @?=J :E H6C6 E92E 62DJ]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmq67@C6 E96 A2?56>:4 |2825:2 5:5?’E DH62E E96 9@DA:E2=’D >65:42E:@? DE@4<A:=6] (9J H@F=5 96n xE H2D =:<6 2:C[ 2=H2JD E96C6] p? 27E6CE9@F89E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmqFE H@C=5H:56 56>2?5 7@C C6>56D:G:C — 2? 2?E:G:C2= 5CF8 E92E 42? C65F46 E96 =6?8E9 @7 9@DA:E2= DE2JD 7@C E96 D:4<6DE r~'xs\`h A2E:6?ED 3J 23@FE b_ A6C46?E — 92D DEC6DD65 E96 DFAA=J 492:? 2?5 H@CC:65 5@4E@CD E92E[ F?E:= 2 G244:?6 :D 56G6=@A65[ AC@4FC:?8 C6>56D:G:C :D 2? 2556?5F> E@ E96:C ;@3D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%9FCD52J :D >65:42E:@? @C56C 52J 2E #|r[ D@ 62C=:6C E9:D H66< |2825:2 2D<65 E96 9@DA:E2=’D A92C>24J E@ C6BF6DE a_ 4@FCD6D @7 C6>56D:G:C 7C@> E96 5CF8’D 5:DEC:3FE@C] Wp “4@FCD6” :D 2 7:G6\52J C68:>6? 8:G6? E@ 4@C@?2G:CFD A2E:6?ED H9@ >66E 4C:E6C:2 D:>:=2C E@ E9@D6 @7 G6?E:=2E@C A2E:6?ED]X k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm#|r[ E9@F89[ :D?’E =:<6=J E@ 86E a_ 4@FCD6Dj :E >2J @?=J 86E 7@FC @C 7:G6[ |2825:2 D2:5[ 2D E96 !6??DJ=G2?:2\32D65 5:DEC:3FE@C[ p>6C:D@FC46q6C86?[ 5:GG:6D @FE 2 5H:?5=:?8 C6>56D:G:C DFAA=J E@ 9@DA:E2=D :? 2== d_ DE2E6D] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmx <?@Hj k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?JE:>6D]4@>^a_a_^_f^ag^@A:?:@?^C6>56D:G:C\D9@CE286\4@C@?2G:CFD]9E>=QmE92E’D 6:E96C 23DFC5 @C 2DE@?:D9:?8[ :7 ?@E 3@E9] k^2mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm|2825:2 =:<6?D C6>56D:G:C E@ 2 “5CF8 E92E H2D ;FDE H2:E:?8 7@C 2 ;@3” 367@C6 E96 A2?56>:4] |256 3J r2=:7@C?:2\32D65 v:=625 $4:6?46D[ C6>56D:G:C 925 366? >:=5=J 67764E:G6 282:?DE E96 $p#$ 4@C@?2G:CFD @FE3C62< :? a__b 3FE 925 AC@G:565 =:EE=6 FD67F=?6DD 282:?DE 63@=2 @FE3C62<D] xE H2D[ 96 D2:5[ ;FDE D:EE:?8 :? E96 =23]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmr~'xs\`h’D 2CC:G2= DAFCC65 5@4E@CD E@ 8:G6 E96 2?E:G:C2= >65:42E:@? 2?@E96C 492?46] %96 D:4<6DE A2E:6?ED 8:G6? C6>56D:G:C H9@ DFCG:G65 E6?565 E@ 92G6 D9@CE6C 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@?D E92? E9@D6 H9@ 5:5?’E 86E E92E >65:42E:@?] s6>2?5 7@C C6>56D:G:C D@2C65]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%9:D :D H96C6 |2825:2’D 6IA=2?2E:@? G66CD 7C@> >65:4:?6 E@ DFAA=J\492:? 64@?@>:4D] v:=625 DE:== @H?D E96 C6>56D:G:C A2E6?E 2?5 4@?EC@=D AC@5F4E:@?] $EC:4E u@@5 2?5 sCF8 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? C68F=2E:@?D @C:8:?2==J AC6G6?E65 C6>56D:G:C FD6 @? 4@C@?2G:CFD A2E:6?ED H:E9@FE 6>6C86?4J 6I46AE:@?D] p7E6C 492?86D E@ E9@D6 8F:56=:?6D v:=625 5@?2E65 `a_[___ 4@FCD6D — >@C6 E92? hc_[___ G:2=D — @7 C6>56D:G:C :? =2E6 DAC:?8 7@C E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E’D r~'xs\`h C6DA@?D6]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm#|r C646:G65 7:G6 4@FCD6D @7 E92E `a_[___]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“}6H *@C< 8@33=65 FA E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E92E C62==J 72DE[” |2825:2 D2:5] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%92E ?2E:@?H:56 42496 C2? @FE EH@ H66<D 28@[ 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]99D]8@G^23@FE^?6HD^a_a_^_e^ah^ECF>A\25>:?:DEC2E:@?\D64FC6D\?6H\DFAA=:6D\C6>56D:G:C\F?:E65\DE2E6D]9E>=QmE96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E :? =2E6 yF?6 3C@<6C65 2 562= H:E9 v:=625 E@ 86E 2?@E96C d__[___ 4@FCD6Dk^2m — AC:465 2E Sb[a__ 2 A@A] p>6C:D@FC46q6C86? :D E96 5CF8 H9@=6D2=6C A2CE?6C:?8 H:E9 DE2E6 962=E9 @77:4:2=D E@ @G6CD66 5:DEC:3FE:@?]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmqFE 96C6’D E96 42E49i %9@D6 d__[___ 4@FCD6D 2C6 ?62C=J 2== @7 v:=625’D AC@5F4E:@? E9C@F89 $6AE6>36Cj 27E6C E92E[ :E’== 36 @FE F?E:= :E >2<6D >@C6[ 2?5 E92E’D 2 >@?E9D\=@?8 AC@46DD] xE’D 2=D@ 2 7C:89E6?:?8 E9@F89E 4@?D:56C:?8 >@C6 E92? `d_[___ p>6C:42?D 92G6 2=C625J 5:65 7C@> E96 5:D62D6] p?5 v:=625 :D DFAA=J:?8 C6>56D:G:C E@ E96 A=2?6E[ ?@E @?=J E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmu@C ?@H[ #|r’D C6>56D:G:C DE@4<A:=6 :D >2?28623=6 — E9@F89 p>6C:D@FC46q6C86? 2==@HD @C56CD @?=J @?6 H66< 2E 2 E:>6[ 2?5 E96? 5@4E@CD 2C6?’E DFC6 9@H >2?J G:2=D E96J’== C646:G6] “(6’C6 ?@E &pq[ H6’C6 ?@E t>@CJ[” |2825:2 D2:5] {2C86C 9@DA:E2=D =:<6 E9@D6 86E >@C6 5@D6Dj 9@DA:E2=D :? 9@E DA@ED 2C6 AC:@C:E:K65] “%96J 5@?’E H2?E J@F 9@2C5:?8 :E]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm|2825:2 92D 925 ?@ 49@:46 3FE E@ 36 >65:42==J ;F5:4:@FD :? 564:5:?8 H9:49 A2E:6?ED 86E E96 >65:42E:@?] |2?28623=6 4@C@?2G:CFD DJ>AE@>D 2=@?6 — 76G6C[ 96252496[ ?2FD62[ 49:==D — 5@?’E BF2=:7J] }@ @?6 86ED :E :7 E96J’C6 ?@E 9@DA:E2=:K65 3642FD6 :E’D 8:G6? 3J x'] $6G6?E66? A2E:6?ED E9FD 72C 92G6 C646:G65 :E 2E #|r[ 96 D2:5j D:I H6C6 @? :E %9FCD52J]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmqFE |2825:2 :D 2H2C6 @7 H92E’D 92AA6?:?8 6=D6H96C6] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]43D?6HD]4@>^?6HD^D9@CE286\@7\<6J\4@C@?2G:CFD\5CF8\C6>56D:G:C\7F6=D\3=24<\>2C<6E\:?\:?5:2^Qm{:<6 :? 92C5\9:E u=@C:52[ H96C6 9@DA:E2=D 92G6 368865 E96 8@G6C?@C E@ 96=A E96> 7:?5 >@C6 2?E:G:C2= 4@FCD6D]k^2m {:<6 :? pC:K@?2 2?5 %6I2D[ H96C6 9@DA:E2= D9@CE286D 2C6 2 C62=:EJ] p?5 =:<6 :? x?5:2[ H96C6 C6>56D:G:C :D 36:?8 D@=5 7@C 6I@C3:E2?E AC:46D @? E96 3=24< >2C<6E E@ 3@E9 5@4E@CD 2?5 A2E:6?ED’ 72>:=:6D] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmpD @7 %9FCD52J 27E6C?@@? E96 4@C@?2G:CFD 925 D:4<6?65 c]dc >:==:@? A6@A=6 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D — :?4=F5:?8 gc[___ :? p=232>2 — 2?5 <:==65 `dc[___] r2=9@F? r@F?EJ’D ?F>36CD H@?’E DE@A C:D:?8i `[b__\A=FD 4@?7:C>65 42D6D[ 6:89E 562E9D] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmp?5 :7 E96C6’D 2 D6G6C6 C6>56D:G:C D9@CE286 E9:D 72==n (92E 92AA6?D E96?n k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%9:D :D E96 5:DE:?4E A@DD:3:=:EJ E92E x 5C625 3642FD6 E96C6’D @?=J d__[___ 4@FCD6D[” |2825:2 D2:5] “x? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2=@?6[ x E9:?< J@F 2C6 AC@323=J 8@:?8 E@ D66 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 C6D@CE:?8 E@ E96 3=24< >2C<6E 2?5 2== E9@D6 E9:?8D] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“xE’D 5C6257F=] x D9F556C E@ E9:?< @7 E92E A@DD:3:=:EJ] xE >:89E 92AA6?]”k^Am